Air diffuser and the like

ABSTRACT

An air diffuser for discharging a maximum volume of air without creating drafts and the like having a rectangular shaped frame with a plurality of pivoted blades extending across the frame; the blades each having a head portion at the free end for creating a turbulence of air as the air is discharged by the diffuser and the frame being flared outwardly at the outlet to permit the turbulent air to flow laterally as it leaves the diffuser.

1 Apr. 10, 1973 United States tat Miller [54] AIR DIFFUSER AND THE LIKE 3,145,642 8/1964 Radcliff.............. ...............v...r.98/4O [75] Inventor: Alexander Miner, Coral Gables Fla. 3 196,895 7/1965 Dayus.................................98/l 10 x Assignee: Miller Industries, Inc., Miami, Fla. Primary ExaminerMeyer Perlin Filed: Jan. 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 4,213

Assistant Examiner-Ronald C. Capossela Att0rney-Salvatore G. Militana [57] ABSTRACT An air diffuser for discharging a maximum volume of air without creating drafts and the like having a rectangular shaped frame with a plurality of pivoted blades extending across the frame; the blades each 10 Z WW H3 9 ,M 0 2M! n s 0 a M m 9 D "0 m m4 mm oo m m h u c r a a n e u S n ll C d S U.mF 2 mm 555 [[..L

having a head portion at the free end for creating a turbulence of air as the air is discharged by the diffuser and the frame being flared outwardly at the outlet to permit the turbulent air to flow laterally as it leaves the diffuser [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2,625,873 1/1953 Kennedy.................................98/40 2,982,l97 5/1961 Roberts.....i..... ........................98/40 PATENIED APR 1 01m FIGB INVENTOR ALEXANDER IVULLER BY ,fmgw

.4 7' TORNEY AER DIFFUSER AND THE LIKE This invention relates to grills, register and diffusers and is more particularly directed to such a device for controlling the direction of the flow of conditioned air therethrough.

The conventional grills, registers and diffusers for air conditioning systems are provided with air foil or tear drop shaped blades in order to reduce to a minimum the resistance offered to the flow of air as the air passed along the blades so as not to increase the back pressure. However, in streamlining the blades to effect an air foil or tear drop shape there results a venturi effect in the air stream as it flows past the streamlined blades.

It is a known fact that in the creation of a venturi or vena-contracta effect, the volume per second flow of air is very markedly reduced in addition to creating drafts and stratafication of air flow. It is contemplated by the present invention to prevent the reduction of the normal volume flow of an air grill or diffuser as well as avoiding the emission of undesirable blasts or jets of conditioned air from the grill or diffuser. This is accomplished by providing the outlet of the diffuser with outwardly flared walls to permit the air to spread out and flow laterally as it leaves the diffuser and at the same time create a turbulence in the air as the air passes over the blades and is discharged by the difiuser.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an air diffuser with an opening having outwardly flared walls whereby the air discharged by the diffuser will tend to flow laterally thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air diffuser with blades having a head portion which create an air turbulence so as to prevent the discharge of streams or jets of air from the diffuser, which in turn would create currents of air throughout the room or area being serviced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an air diffuser with blades that prevent the creation of a venturi or vena-contracta which reduces the volume flow of air therethrough.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an air diffuser with an outwardly flared discharge opening in combination with blades that increase the effective area thereof so as to increase to a maximum the volume of air flow therethrough.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air diffuser constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blade.

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view of the blade.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers to a diffuser constructed in accordance with my invention and consisting of two groups of blades -B- mounted in a frame -F- both the blades -B- and frame -F- being made of extruded metal or plastic material.

The frame -F- consists of four members cut from a length of extruded material with the ends mitered where they are joined together into a substantially rectangular shape forming an opening 30 for the discharge of air therethrough. The members constituting the frame -F- have a generally L-shaped cross section having leg portions 11 and 12 positioned at approximately right angles with each other and joined together by a diagonally extending wall portion 13 that joins the leg portions 11 and 12 at approximately degrees. The inside surface of the leg portion 12 is provided with a slotted portion 14 formed by a pair of spaced ridges l5. Secured in the slotted portion 14 are comer locks 16 for joining the frame members together. The comer lock 16 forming no part of the present invention is explained in detail in a copending application Ser. No. 878,819 filed on Nov. 21, 1969 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,034 on Aug. 24, 1971, by John G. Thome for Diffuser Structure. It is to be noted that any conventional manner of joining the members forming the frame -F- may be used herein.

The leg portions 11 of the frame -F- are provided with a plurality of equally spaced openings or bores 20 for receiving pins 21 formed on the ends of the blades B-. The openings 20 on opposing leg members 11 of the frame -B- are in coplanar relation with each other while the openings 20 in one pair of opposing members of the frame -B- spaced from the openings 20 of the other pair of opposing frame members so that two sets of blades B- one above the other may be provided in my diffuser 10. The blades -B- of one group are positioned at right angles to the blades -B- of the other group whereby upon pivoting the blades -B- of the two groups, the air being discharged at the opening 30 may be directed at any desired angle with relation to the axis of the diffuser 10.

The blades -B- consist of a substantially elongated flat blade member 22 extending in coplanar relation to a shaft 121 on which the pins 21 are mounted though smaller in thickness than the diameter of the pin 21. The shaft 121 joins the inner edge of the blade member 22 by radially positioned wall portions 23 that extend at an acute angle to the sides of the blade member 22. At the free edge of the blade member 22 is a head member 24 that is approximately rectangular in cross section and extends an equal distance on each side as by walls 25 beyond the sides of the blade member 22. As is explained in greater detail hereinafter, the function of the head member is to create a turbulant effect in the flow of air being discharged by the diffuser 10.

The blades -B- are held in their desired positions in the frame -F- by a blade holding strip 26 shown and described in detail in the aforementioned copending application, though any conventional locking member may be used so long as the blades -B- cannot be inadvertently rotated by the flow of air therethrough after they have been set at their desired angular position or in their closed position.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawing, it is readily noted that my diffuser 10 provided with the blades -B- that creates a turbulance as the air passes the two groups of blades, which in combination with the flared wall portion 13 at the outlet 30 permits a maximum amount of air to be discharged thereby. There is no venturi or vena-contracta effect created by the blades -B- so that the effective free area is thereby increased and the volume flow of air is thereby increased. Also, the air being discharged by the diffuser does not create drafts and stratas of air flow in the room as occurs in the conventional air diffuser where the air being discharged in a jet or stream creating drafts and stratafication of air in the room being serviced. In the diffuser 10 the primary air, that is, the air being discharged by the diffuser l0 and the secondary air, the air in the room, commence to mix at the outlet of the difiuser or in proximity thereto to reduce drafts and jets of conditioned air to a minimum.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An air diffuser comprising a substantially rectangular frame, said frame forming an air duct and having a plurality of elongated blades extending across said air duct, each of said blades having a substantially flat body member, pivot means comprising a shaft mounted along one edge of said flat body member pivotally mounting said blades to said rectangular frame, said shaft joining said one edge of said flat body member by radially positioned wall portions that extend at substantially an acute angle to sides of said blade member, a head member mounted along the other of said edges, said head member having obstructing means engaged by a portion of air flowing through said duct and creating an air turbulence and further means mounted on said frame whereby said turbulent air flow laterally of said air diffuser as the air is discharged through said duct.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said obstructing means comprises a wall extending laterally of said blade member and extending beyond each side of said blade member.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2 wherein said further means comprises a wall portion extending diagonally and joining leg portions of said frame. 

1. An air diffuser comprising a substantially rectangular frame, said frame forming an air duct and having a plurality of elongated blades extending across said air duct, each of said blades having a substantially flat body member, pivot means comprising a shaft mounted along one edge of said flat body member pivotally mounting said blades to said rectangular frame, said shaft joining said one edge of said flat body member by radially positioned wall portions that extend at substantially an acute angle to sides of said blade member, a head member mounted along the other of said edges, said head member having obstructing means engaged by a portion of air flowing through said duct and creating an air turbulence and further means mounted on said frame whereby said turbulent air flow laterally of said air diffuser as the air is discharged through said duct.
 2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said obstructing means comprises a wall extending laterally of said blade member and extending beyond each side of said blade member.
 3. The structure as recited by claim 2 wherein said further means comprises a wall portion extending diagonally and joining leg portions of said frame. 